MILFORD -- A state environmental award received this week by Ethan Allen is the latest achievement for a company with a continued focus on reducing its carbon footprint while helping its bottom line.

The furniture company received a platinum award through the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection's Summer Saver program for saving more than 45 percent of its electricity usage by installing LED light bulbs in its showroom located on the Boston Post Road.

"Efficiency efforts are of special significance in the summer months when reducing peak demand can help reduce the cost of power and when reducing emissions from power plants helps to prevent pollution that contributes to smog and climate change," said DEEP Commissioner Rob Klee.

Farooq Kathwari, president and CEO of Danbury-based Ethan Allen, said Thursday that the company's participation in the program and the installation of new lighting at the Milford showroom is part of a larger effort at the company to be more energy efficient. The company has received numerous awards in recent years for the effort, he said.

More Information

State recognizes Summer Savers for energy conservation

Platinum Award

Ethan Allen for reducing its electrical usage by 45 percent in its Milford design center

Gold Award

Bridgeport Board of Education for reducing its energy usage by 21 percent in three schools.211 Main Street Bridgeport LLC for 20 percent reduction in its energy usage

Silver Award

Filosa Intermediate Health Care in Danbury for savings of between 10 and 20 percentMarshalls in Fairfield for energy savings of between 10 and 20 percent

Source - state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection

"One really has to think about the long term," Kathwari said. "Programs like this are certainly good for the environment, but they are also good for the overall profitability of the business."

Kathwari said the company has been able to save operating costs by reducing its energy usage, including a program in a Vermont manufacturing facility where the company eliminated its use of heating oil through the use of a steam engine that produces electricity by burning waste wood.

"This past year we probably had one of the harshest and coldest winters in Vermont," Kathwari said. "And yet we burned zero oil. We used to burn hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil at the facility every year."

He noted that the company has also incorporated United States environmental standards when it opened a manufacturing plant in Mexico.

"Even though these standards aren't required, it's good for the environment and it's good for the working conditions of our associates," he said.

The fund, administered by Connecticut Light & Power and United Illuminating, provides rebates of up to 50 percent and low-interest loans to businesses for energy efficiency projects.

Ethan Allen used the incentive program to help fund the installation of new LED lighting at the Milford design center showroom as part of the Summer Saver initiative.

"Not only was it good for the environment, but it also helped us to create more natural lighting in the design centers," Kathwari said. "We are now looking at how we can display our lamps without actually having them lit up. With nearly 300 design centers, that's a lot of electricity."

Traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ETH, the shares on Thursday rose 1.8 percent to $26.18.